The Course

Description

Par 71/74

#1 - Par 4. 322 yards

A benign opener doglegging gently right, but beware the roughed down slope to the right. A fade tee shot down left centre will leave a wedge into a green heavily bunkered front right, back right, front left and back left.

#2 - Par 5. 486 yards

A majestic dogleg right with mountains providing an awesome backdrop. Aim tee shot centre left for spot which leaves you able to clear sharp 25-foot upslope with your next shot. Green, sloping slightly from back to front, has sand back right and back left.

#3 - Par 4. 309 yards

The green is invisible down a steep slope. It's drivable with a favoring wind but allow time for those in front to clear. The wiser shot is a right-side lay-up just beyond the150-yard markers. then a wedge onto the green hugged by trees right, mounds behind and two traps left. Good birdie possibility.

#4 - Par 3/4. 221 yards

Difficult par 3 With tee shot over preliminary dip in fairway to flat area climbing towards green guarded tightly by trees both sides. Wind, from the left, a factor. Make sure green is clear.

#5 - Par 3. 166 yards

Shortish. straight, simple. Right? Wrong! Mid-iron tee shot is usually into headwind, which can vary from breeze to gale off the distant lake. The flattish green isn't the biggest target on this circuit either.

#6 - Par 5. 508 yards

This one spars with true greatness. Waterton's longest, and one of its toughest. Hit tee shot centre onto flat portion of open fairway. With a tail wind, Your length might surprise you. Eventually a steep hill has to be negotiated to reach the green perched on top, with sand front left and front right. Par's an achievement.

#7 - Par 3/4. 379 yards

Another tough one. Local pro Ken Roome talks in awe of using his driver here off the elevated tee box and still being short of the green tucked in trees down the hill. Yes, the Waterton wind may have a hand in this one. Par? Lucky you!

#8 - Par 4. 379 yards

A pretty, straightaway hole with trees coming more into evidence especially down right side in approach to green. This one is usually played all the way into a headwind. Aim tee shot slightly centre left to open up green perched on bluff's edge with panoramic lake and mountain vistas. Sand front left and right.

#9 - Par 4. 383 yards

Take wind, usually from right, into account for tee shot here. Fairway down the hill slopes dramatically left to right. But ideally to be centre for approach into clubhouse green covered by, sand, front left, and a second small trap on the right.

#10 - Par 4. 308 yards

OB all the way right. Elevated tee shot, trees left, should be aimed centre right of fairway below. Hole drivable, but sand left and back left, trees front right, encourage more respectful approach.

#11 - Par 5. 485 yards

Tee shot between trees should land around bank on fairway with faint dogleg left. If still below the bank, You should aim at the pyramid peak. The flat green's back there somewhere! Trees left and right of it - and close behind.

#12 - Par 5. 467 yards

It's usually about here that the scale of Waterton’s challenge begins to dawn. The second of back-to-back par-5s. Be left side off tee box. Heavy left-right slope will drag too-right tee shot down into trees and bushes. Keep going!

#13 - Par 3. 157 yards

Truly one of Alberta's great holes. Thompson's genius for simplicity and mischief are here for all to see. Tee shot requires a hit across a 100 feet-deep, largely-fairway valley, to a tiny, shallow green carved tee-box level into the Mountainside opposite. Watch the wind, don't be short. The trick is to hit just long enough to the semi-cut above the green and trickle back down and on. Honest. It's been known to work.

#14 - Par 4. R: 337 yards

Ah, the trees make their presence more felt. Elevated tee shot should land centre right to allow for fairway slope, right to left. Second requires uphill shot into green with only flag top usually visible. The fir tree behind is a good line. Extra club advisable here.

#15 - Par 415. 424 yards

Straightaway into prevailing wind and the start of a stretch of really testing golf holes. Elevated tee box gives bird's eye view of Thompson's propensity for narrowing treed fairways in landing areas, opening them up again and then narrowing the neck into the big green. Fine hole swings right to left. Remember mountain's natural slope.

#16 - Par 4. 321 yards

An outstanding hole doglegging sharply left round high banked, right-to-left fairway to green unseen round the trees. Environmental note - look for wildlife on the mountain slope. Ideal tee shot is centre right draw to take the ball down to the green. Gone now. unfortunately, is the tall elm that once guarded the left approach. The stump's still there though.

#17 - Par 3. 188 yards

Treacherous. Tough uphill tee shot, usually complicated by wind from right. onto plateaued green. It's smallish, two-tiered, front and back. and slopes left to right. If the pin's right and you're left, it's like putting off the edge of the World.

#18 - Par 4. 395 yards

Homeward bound. Drive from elevated tee box should be aimed to left side of fairway falling from left to right. A good one followed by mid or short iron approach will get you home to the large flattish green with chance of par or better for the clubhouse gallery. Watch those subtle breaks though.

		Waterton Lakes Golf Course Box 2000, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada. T0K 2M0 Phone: 403-859-2114 wlgcbear@telusplenet.net